Nellie Lane

“I say things to my doctor that I have not said to my own family.”

For more than 20 years, Roxbury resident Nellie Lane has relied on Codman for her health care needs, and she is grateful for that care. In 2011 her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she worried that she was at increased risk for the disease.

Lane has a great relationship with her primary care provider, Dr. Suki Tepperberg, and she shared her concerns with her. Dr. Tepperberg approached the situation with care, suggesting Nellie come in for exams every 6 months instead of annually.

In February, when Lane had her mammogram at Codman, the radiologist found something and sent her to Boston Medical Center for further testing. Lane’s results came back positive for breast cancer, but she was fortunate to have caught it very early — at stage 1.

After five weeks of radiation therapy, Lane is cancer free, and doesn’t need to go through surgery or chemotherapy. She is extremely grateful to Dr. Tepperberg and the radiology staff at Codman for taking steps to catch her cancer early.

Lane says that Dr. Tepperberg has helped her through not only breast cancer, but chronic pain from sciatica and some mental health challenges. “I say things to Dr. Tepperberg that I have not said to my own family,” Lane says. “She has always been very supportive. She’s just a great doctor all the way around.”

When Lane struggled with the pain of sciatica, she had a difficult time getting around, but saw a pain specialist at Codman who was able to give her cortisone shots that provided relief. “I couldn’t even walk and that doctor brought me back to life,” she said.